In fact, even taking a horse-drawn buggy might be rushing it. You see much more interesting things this way—like narrow alleys with street art, plaques denoting historic homes, and the stamps on each brick that tell where they’re from. South Carolina’s Holy City, ranking it among their favorite urban centers in North America. Like Charleston, many of the top 20 winners in North America have a deep sense of history, while still cultivating modern features like craft breweries, coffee houses, and ever-evolving music scenes. But some regional stereotypes still persist in the survey: one winning category, friendliness, gave certain Southern cities in the U. But one local from a Midwestern contender urges travelers to see past her hometown’s own accent and bluster. But we’re the first people to help wayward tourists on the street, or strike up a conversation in a bar.